Repeating type elastic band projector



INVENTOR- lfizemazz T ZQyZesan Jr ATTORNEY rid %W F. T. EAGLESON, JR

REPEATING TYPE ELASTIC BAND PROJECTOR Filed April 7, 1951 Jan. 13, 1953 Patented Jan. 13, 1953 REPEATING TYPE ELASTIC BAND PROJECTOR Freeman T. Eagleson, Jr., Columbus, Ohio Application April 7, 1951, Serial No. 219,849

3 Claims.

- This invention is concerned with elastic band projectors, particularly projectors of the multiple action type by which, with each complete loading of the projector, a plurality of bands may be successively projected.

An objectof the present invention is to provide a toy firearm constructed to hold and discharge by manual release a plurality of elastic bands held thereon under tension, whereby such bands may be successively released in a rapidly performed manner or at intervals, as desired, the firearm having the properties of a repeater or magazine type rifle.

A general object of the invention is to provide a mechanically simple toy band projector of this character, which may be shaped to simulate a gun or pistol, and which is so constructed as to receive in a stretched and taut condition there- 'on a plurality of tensioned elastic bands, and whereby through the operation of a manually operated trigger-controlled hammer, the bands may be individually and successively released and projected in a direction toward which the firearm is pointed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy gun or firearm of the character set forth in which a-plurality of stretched rubber bands are supported in adjacent order in connection with the barrel and breech portions of the device and, through rocking movement of an associated lever member, delivered successively from seated positions in connection with a plurality of breech shoulders to a pivotally movable trigger controlledhammer member, whereby through the operation of the lever member, and without removingthe stock of the gun from the shoulder of the user, the taut and stretched elastic bands are delivered in successive order to the hammer or band projector constructed in accordance with the present invention, the parts being disposed for discharge of the first of a plurality of elastic bands upon the pulling of the trigger of the gun or projector;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the breech portion 'of the gun or projector, disclosing the tensioned elastic bands in operative position thereon;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through the gun on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and on a somewhat larger scale, disclosing the trigger and hammer members in their positions of band release.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

'the numeral I designates the barrel of my imbe used in the construction of the projector, such as wood, metal or plastics, and, also, various desired dimensions and proportions of its parts may be used.

In this instance, the outer end or muzzle of the barrel is recessed as at 4 to receive the forward portions of a plurality of elastic bands 5. These bands when applied to the toy are stretched and placed under tension. At their rear ends,

the stretched bands are each positioned in one of a'plurality of notches 6 provided in the upper portion of the gun breech 3, the notches producing shoulder means by which the bands are retained under tension with the same stretched longitudinally of and about the barrel, as disclosed more particularly in Figs. 1 and 2 of the "drawings.

To provide for the controlled and successive release of the bands, the latter are individually transferred from the notches 5 and engaged with the reduced neck 1 of a hammer member 8. This hammer member is pivotally mounted on a cross pin 9 arranged in a firing-mechanism chamber HI formed in the breech portion of the gun. In this instance, the member 8 is providedwith a shoulder I! which engages a projection l2 provided on a trigger member I3, the latter being pivotally mounted on a cross pin I4 disposed in the chamber 10. The trigger member includes a curved finger-engaging extension l5 which may be surrounded by a guard 16 in a readily accessible position on'the lower side of the gun breech.

The projection I2 of the trigger member is normally held in engagement with the shoulder I l of the hammer member 8 by a spring or resilient band [1. When the trigger member is rocked by application ofv pressure thereto, ex-

erted through the index finger of the gun user, the spring or band I! is stretched to apply resistance to the movement of the trigger member. When finger pressure is released, the trigger member returns to its normal position as shown in Fig. 1. The hammer-releasing position of the trigger member is disclosed more fully in Fig, 4. In this figure, it will be noted that the trigger member occupies a position which it assumes when pressed by the finger of the gun operator. The projection I2 is removed from contact with the shoulder H of the trigger member, so that the latter will revolve under the influence of the band 5 connected therewith. Thus, the trigger member assumes its released position, as dis- I8. The lower end of this detent is pivotally mounted as at E9 on a slotted lever 2'3, the forward end of this lever being pivoted as at 2! to the trigger guard l6. Normally, the lever occupies a position in parallelism with the lower edge of the gun stock 2, as shown in Fig. 1, but

when it is desired to actuate the detent the lever is moved to the broken line position shown in Fig. 1 and restored to the full line position, thereby rocking the detent l8.

The detent and the hammer member are resiliently united by an elastic band 22 or its equivalent, such as a coil spring, not shown. The

band or spring 22 serves to return automatically the hammer member to its active position in which a second shoulder 23 on the hammer memher is retained in contact with a stationary stop pin 24, the latter extending transversely of the chamber H].

The upper end of the detent i8 is also shouldered as at 25, and, additionally, includes a finger-engaging extension 26. The band or spring 22 serves to maintain normally the forward upper edge 27 of the detent in contact with the outermost of the bands 5 seated in the notches 6. For instance, if the band shown at 50. is seated in a notch, the upper and'forward edge 2! of the detent will engage therewith as disclosed in Figs. 1 and 4. If the band 5a has been discharged or released, the detent will move forwardly under the influence of the resilient element 22 into contact with the next band positioned in one of the notches b, for example, the band shown at 51), and so on until the detent engages each of the bands seated in one of the notches B.

When the lever 20 is rocked downwardly from the full line position to the dotted line position of Fig. 1, the shoulder 25 of the detent will be disposed below the bands seated in the notches B, and thereafter, when the lever is returned from the dotted line position of Fig. 1 to the full line position, the consequent upward movement of the detent causes the shoulder 25 thereof to contact with the under part of an engaged elastic band, displacing the latter from the notch in which it is seated and causing the same to contact the finger projection I of the hammer memher 8. It will be observed that the latter cannot turn when this engagement is effected, since the projection 12 of the trigger member [3 is in contact with the shoulder l i, holding the hammer member against rocking movement.

In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides a band projector in the form of a toy gun which, as a result of its mechanical simplicity, is easy to operate and which furnishes children a comparatively safe toy. The constructionof the'toy is such as to simulate quite closely the action of a firearm, and the fact that it will function to discharge in rapid order a succession of elastic bands provides an additional and pleasing novelty to those handling the same. The construction of the projector is simple, inexpensive and is not likely to become out of order oroccasion repair, and if such should happen, the repairs may be easily and cheaply made. It will be noted that the extension 26 of the detent or band lifter I8 normally extends angularly and upwardly, as shown in Fig. 1. If a band accidentally should be released fromrthe muzzle 5 of the gun and be projected rearwardly while the toy is being used, the extension Ziiwill serve as a safety guard, deflecting the rearwardly projecting band upwardly and away from the face of the user. The band or spring element 22, when the parts are positioned as in Fig. 1, serves upon contraction to maintain the lever 28 in its raised position, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 1, since movement of the lever 28 toward its lowered or broken line position tends to further elongate the band or spring 22. Preferably, spacing washers or links 30 are arranged between the sides of the members 8 and i3 and the walls of the chamber Ill, holding the members 8 and I3 in their proper relative positions of vertical alignment.

While the preferred form of the invention has been set forth in considerable detail, nevertheless it will be understood that the construction is subject to certain variations or modifications without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a bandprojecting toy firearm, a body comprising breech, barrel and. stock sections, means provided in conjunction with said barrel and breech-sections supporting in tretched adjacent order a plurality of elastic bands, a pivoted hammer member having a band-receiving neck, trigger means normally maintaining said hammer member against movement when an elastic band is engaged with the outerend of said barrel section at one of its ends and seated 'onsaid neck at its other, said trigger means being movable to release said hammer member to permit the same to rotate under the influence of a tensioned band engaged with the .neck thereof to a position releasingsaid band, a lever pivotally mounted at one end on the underside of said breech section, and a band-transferring arm movable in unison with said lever and operable to remove individually and progressively bands having tensioned engagement with said breech section and to transfer the same to the neck of said hammer member.

2. In an elastic band-projecting toy, a firearmsimulating body including a barrel portion and a breech portion, the breech portion of said body being formed with a plurality of longitudinally spaced upwardly opening notches for receiving a plurality of continuous elastic bands stretched from the barrel portion to the breech portion of said body; a hammer member pivotally connected with the breech portion of said body and having a band-receiving extension thereon, said hammer member being movable to a first position wherein the extension thereof projects outwardly from the breech portion of said body between said notches and the barrel portion of said body to catch an elastic band released from one of said notches and a second position wherein the extension of said hammer member projects forwardly of said breech portion to release an elastic band initially engaged with said extension, manually operable trigger means pivotally connected with the breech portion of said body and engageable with said hammer member to hold the latter in said first position, said trigger means being movable to release said hammer member to permit the latter to move from said first position to said second position in response to forces exerted upon the extension of said hammer mem ber by an elastic band engaged therewith; and manually operable cocking means pivotally connected with the breech portion of said body and including an arm engageable with each of a plurality of elastic bands stretched between the barrel portion of said body and engaged with said notches and operable successively to disengage such bands from said notches and transfer such bands individually to the extension of said hammer member.

3. A repeating elastic band-projecting toy firearm comprising a firearm-simulating body having a barrel portion and a breech portion, the breech portion of said body being provided with a plurality of notches each adapted to receive and retain an end portion of an elastic band having an opposite end portion engaged with the barrel portion of said body and elastically stretched toward said breech portion; a pivotally movable hammer-simulating member carried by the breech portion of said body and provided with an extension normally projecting outwardly beyond said breech portion and arranged to catch and hold an elastic band released from one of said notches; a trigger device pivotally connected with said breech portion and normally engaging said hammer-simulating member to hold the latter against swinging movement, said trigger device being movable to disengage the same from said hammer-simulating member to permit the latter to swing to a position to release an elastic band caught on the extension of said member; a manually operable cocking lever pivotally connected with the breech portion of said body; and an arm pivotally connected with said cocking lever and engageable with each of a plurality of elastic bands held within said notches, said cocking lever and said arm being movable successively to disengage each of a plurality of elastic bands from said notches and thereby permit such bands to become engaged with the extension of said hammer-simulating member.

FREEMAN T. EAGLESON, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,469,610 Ustynik Oct. 2, 1923 1,759,084 Baum et a1. May 20, 1930 

